Austrian Pear Cake…

 

 

 

 

 

Birnen Kuchen….Austrian Pear Cake

One of the finest Austrian Cakes…among many is the “Austrian Pear Cake”   It is a wonderful simple pastry layered with two layers of ripe pears.

 

Here is the recipe!

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

zest of  1 to 2 lemons – depending on the size of the lemons

1 tsp Vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup milk

and

2 lbs of Bartlett pears (about 4 to 6 medium size)

Optional  Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

4 Tbsp Triple sect, or juice of 1 lemon

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Set the oven at 350 F

Prepare an eight inch spring form by greasing and dusting it with flour.

Peal the pears and slice each quarter into three sections.

In an electric mixer or hand mixer beat the butter and sugar until very light in color, and very fluffy.  Add the eggs  one at a time.  Add the zest of the lemons and Vanilla.  Mix the flour with the baking powder.  Add the flour mixture to the butter, sugar and eggs alternating with the milk.   Mix well until it becomes a smooth, soft dough.

Transfer half of the dough to the spring form and smooth it onto the bottom of this baking pan.

Add half of  the pear sections in a circle starting  around the outer edge of the pan until you finish in the middle.

Add the rest of the dough on top of the pears, smooth it out and add another layer of the pears on top…the same way in a circle until you finish in the center.    Be generous with the pears it make the cake pudding-like, moist and delicious.

Bake the cake at 350 F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes…..or until a toothpick come out clean.

Cool the cake completely then transfer it onto a serving platter.

There are several options to glaze the cake:

Make the Lemon Glaze with the above recipe…..it is really delicious.

Softly whipped heavy cream sweetened with powdered sugar….before serving.

Or………..

Drizzle the cake slices with honey just before serving….if you wish!!!

I have tried all three versions, and I cannot tell which one I like best…..actually it all depends on what you have in the refrigerator or the pantry………..I have not tried dribbling a warm chocolate sauce over the slices , but I think I will try it the next time I make this wonderful and versatile  cake. Because with each topping it actually becomes another pastry.  If you make the cake a day ahead of when you want to serve it…you can leave it on the kitchen counter – covered loosely with wax paper.

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Maria Reisz Springer

Maja’s Viennese Kitchen

http://www.majaskitchen.com

Find me on Face Book!

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